Jurgen Klopp is hopeful that Liverpool can hold onto Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations.
Mane and Salah are set to link up with their respective countries ahead of the tournament in the festive period as part of FIFA’s international regulations.
That would mean the pair and midfielder Naby Keita are ineligible for the Reds’ Boxing Day clash with Leeds as well as trips to Leicester and Chelsea.
But Klopp remains optimistic that a compromise can be reached with the Egyptian, Senegalise and Guinean federations to delay the trio’s release.
He said: “It’s not decided yet.
“I am an optimistic person, so I hope so.
“But it’s not written in stone and not completely in our hands.”
The Liverpool manager also hinted that Nat Phillips could be allowed to seek regular first-team opportunities away from Anfield in the January window.
Phillips is expected to be handed his first start of the season in a Champions League group finale at AC Milan next week, with qualification already secured.
“People often ask me which player made the biggest improvements under my leadership and I say Robert Lewandowski,” added Klopp.
“That’s probably right, but not far off that is Nat Phillips, just in a completely different department.
“I remember when I saw Nat Phillips first. I spoke to him after the game and he’s one of the smartest players I ever worked with.
“I told him: ‘You know you are not the easiest on the eye?’ But he improved in pretty much everything since, and he’s not playing.
“Life is sometimes not fair and I can’t blame him. We cannot keep him for ever, that’s clear. We needed him, just to be safe, for that half-year.
“We will see what happens in the window. He was fine doing it because he’s a great guy but his development is absolutely insane.
“I would sign him for any club except Liverpool because we have him.”